


Fortune's Favor

by DJRezYourGays



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Giving myself all the uncle feels today
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 23:45:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12758724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJRezYourGays/pseuds/DJRezYourGays
Summary: While Ruby trains with Oscar nearby, Qrow can't help but worry over the cycle of things, and how all the worst seems to come around again.  He wants much better for his niece, but is she already doomed to follow in her mother's footsteps?MicroWriMo 2017Prompt: Waiting





	Fortune's Favor

"Keep your guard up, kiddo," Qrow called, eyes shut against the hangover still clawing at his temples. He didn't even have to look to know what was happening nearby where Ruby and Oscar were still sparring, both with a lot to learn about how to fight so they could be ready for the battle that was coming to Haven.

Haven.  What a name.  What arrogant idiot decided to taunt fate by coming up with a name like that?  "Go again," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as the sound of his own voice proved painful.  The clatter of the kids training nearby was no picnic, either.  He normally loved the sound of his niece's high-pitched voice.  Normally.

Ozpin kept reassuring them both that they were getting better, and every time Qrow had to bite back the urge to say 'not fast enough.'  Each strike in the fight was starting to feel like the tick of a clock, counting down the hours till their enemy arrived.  Till these kids were yet again tossed into the fray of a conflict infinitely older than they were.  

It didn't make sense, any of it.  It didn't make sense when they were kids - him and Raven and Summer and Tai.  Seeing Oz come back, seeing the new young face he was wearing around - it made Qrow wonder just how long this cycle had been going on.  How much longer would it still be going on if they couldn't end it here?  If these kids they were asking the world of should falter even a little bit - if they fell short - how many more times around the clock face was this war going to go?

Feeling his stomach turn, Qrow sat up, squinting at the dimming sun.  What did it even matter?  Summer gave everything to this fight, and now her kid was being asked to do the same.  She'd already lost friends.  Nobody that young should lose friends.  Nobody that young should die.  Nobody that young should have this much put on their shoulders.

It was their fault in the end, Qrow new.  His generation.  It had been their charge to stop this, to keep these kids safe - to let them live lives free of this constant fear.  And they'd failed at that spectacularly.  He blamed himself more than a little.  The bad luck charm.  He glanced at the flask he had automatically reached for, wondering if he could've done more to shield Ruby and the others from all this years ago.

With a heavy sigh, he tucked the flask away, listening to Ruby cheer as she'd finally knocked Oscar on his back.  Qrow couldn't help but chuckle despite the weight crushing his chest from the inside.  "Good job, kid," he said.  "Now do it again."

Ruby pouted, falling back in stance to get back to sparring as Qrow laid back down and stared at the clouds rolling in overhead.  It was too late for doubts now - too late for guilt, too late for blame.  All they could do was help these kids get ready for what was coming - a fight not even he felt ready for in the slightest.  It felt like they were just lying to them, giving them any hope for a victory, let alone an end to this old war.  Maybe they were lying to themselves more than a little.

All there was to do now was wait.  Salem was coming.  The White Fang was coming.  The end was coming to Haven.  Maybe to all of Remnant.  And the last line of defense was a little girl in a red cloak and a freckle-faced boy awkwardly dancing around each other as they tried to learn the basics of how to keep themselves alive.

"On second thought, that's enough for today," Qrow said, getting to his feet.  To hell with it.  Maybe they were just kidding themselves with all of this.  If it didn't really matter, why not give the kids a chance to enjoy themselves before it was all over?  "Who's up for ice cream?"

Ruby's momentary confusion was replaced immediately with excited joy.  The squeal cut through Qrow's hangover like a knife.  It was a welcome sound all the same.  Oscar just looked tired, shoulders heaving as he looked in Qrow's direction.  Qrow expected to hear Ozpin's voice any moment, but the old man seemed to agree going by his silence.  Qrow smiled, hollowing out the worry and the rage he felt and just focuses on the kids and the chance to bring them a little joy while he still could.

Ruby hurried to fetch the others, leaving Qrow alone with Oscar for a moment.  He walked over and rested a hand on the kid's shoulder.  "We're not gonna make it, are we?" Oscar said.  His young voice sounded so sage it took Qrow a moment to register which Oz he was talking to.

"Honestly, I don't know," Qrow confessed, watching Ruby and Nora cheering inside, "but you kids give me hope.  Maybe history won't repeat itself after all."

Oscar looked at the cane in his hands as Qrow headed inside to join the others.  "He's not alone," Ozpin's voice added, hovering over him as always, "and neither are you."

Oscar wrapped his hands tightly around the cane, choking down the fear and confusion for the moment.  They were going to be ready.  They had to be.  

"Hurry up!" Ruby called.  "Before Nora eats it all again!"

"Hey, they was one time!" Nora shouted, already out of sight in pursuit of her ice cream quarry.

"Three times," Ren corrected, slowly following after her as Oscar hurried to join them.  He was still way over his head in all this, but maybe that was okay.  They would all figure it out together.  He just hoped they could figure it out in time.


End file.
